FM19: The English Football League thread

[warlock]

37 minutes ago, kozmik said:

Wanted to share this, first match of the season

Great result, and impressive that you won the possession battle with Liverpool. Wish Henderson was doing that well for me... just lost 4-2 at home to Millwall where they had four shots on target and scored every time .

[kozmik]

1 minute ago, warlock said:

Great result, and impressive that you won the possession battle with Liverpool. Wish Henderson was doing that well for me... just lost 4-2 at home to Millwall where they had four shots on target and scored every time .

To be fair I've dominated possession in almost every game throughout the save. Having a DLP at dm and instructing my midfield two to take fewer risks is what causes this. They just keep passing the ball back to the dm all day. The football is tiresome at times, but it's been very effective results-wise.

Henderson's made his fair share of blunders for me too. I'm sure he'll improve with time for you as well.

[warlock]

Sheffield United: Season 1 - The Dream Dies

After starting the season well, we fell into the usual mid-season slough of despond but, remarkably, so did all of our rivals with the result that we got to mid-February holding on to top spot in the Championship. But eventually, a series of injuries took their toll, leading to the inevitable run of poor results. Although we managed to pick up some creditable draws and a couple of unexpected wins, we were overhauled by the likes of Bristol City, West Brom and Aston Villa. Even up to the last couple of games we were within touching distance of the title, but the lads simply crumbled under the pressure. Leon Clarke - who had been the leading scorer in the first half of the season - bagged two goals on Boxing Day and never scored again. The defence, which had been so impressive for four months, simply fell apart with all of the CBs regularly turning in performances with 6.0-6.4 ratings.

I strengthened the squad in January. FB George Baldock left after Stoke triggered his release clause but I bought in Moses Odubajo from Brentford to replace him. McGoldrick left for Bristol and was replaced by Palace's Alexander Sorloth on loan who did well. Marvin Johnson returned to Middlesbrough and was replaced by West Ham's Charlie Taylor on loan. All three did well, but the two FBs missed several weeks through injury.

In the end, we finished in fourth position and the play-offs. Unfortunately, the poor form of the end of season did not turn around. In the first playoff game away at Brentford we were 1-0 down after 70 minutes and I was hopeful of overturning that in the home tie, but we collapsed to a 3-0 finish. In the home game we played better and produced a 2-0 victory but it wasn't enough.

The killer issue with this save is the Championship requirement for 'home grown at club' players. Of the current first team squad only Billy Sharp qualifies, and he's been awful for the last few months; I don't feel I can rely on him going forward. Outside of the first team squad, I have a goalkeeper who is miles from the required standard, and a couple of youngsters who are even less impressive. I've scoured my scouting lists for candidates and there are only a handful: David Brooks, who won't even discuss a loan return; Phil Jagielka, who is 36 and done; and Kyle Walker and Harry McGuire, who will cost me more than £50m apiece. It's the little things that kill you... .

If we'd got promoted I'd have happily stuck with this save for at least another year. But, again, it's time for pastures new! Like Mr Taylor, I'll get back to you...

[DefinitelyTaylor]

@warlock: Frustrating to say the least. Looking forward to who you'll be going with next - hopefully you'll have some better luck.

[warlock]

Just now, DefinitelyTaylor said:

Looking forward to who you'll be going with next - hopefully you'll have some better luck

Well, you have to look on the bright side... With the Blades I overperformed all season, even to the finish. It's just that HGC status that's a killer. With Boro, we finished badly but were in the mix all season. At least in part, it's down to the fact that I'm not yet comfortable with tactics in this version - I'm pretty sure I'd have won promotion with both teams last year. All this new stuff with lines of engagement and width is beyond my tiny brain, but I'll get there eventually 

[DefinitelyTaylor]

5 minutes ago, warlock said:

Well, you have to look on the bright side... With the Blades I overperformed all season, even to the finish. It's just that HGC status that's a killer. With Boro, we finished badly but were in the mix all season. At least in part, it's down to the fact that I'm not yet comfortable with tactics in this version - I'm pretty sure I'd have won promotion with both teams last year. All this new stuff with lines of engagement and width is beyond my tiny brain, but I'll get there eventually 

Yeah, I guess so. It must be frustrating to endure these bad runs of form though when you have real good spells where nothing seems to go wrong! 

The tactics system is still a tough one to get to grips with, but I think we're all learning together. There are certain aspects to it that I think are hugely beneficial that are just a pain to work with at the moment . We'll get there eventually...

[warlock]

2 minutes ago, DefinitelyTaylor said:

It must be frustrating to endure these bad runs of form though when you have real good spells where nothing seems to go wrong! 

Oh, it's frustrating! The difference is that in previous FMs I knew what to do when I realised we'd hit the slump. I'd play a little more cautious, or a bit wider, or a bit more creative, or a bit more patient, or some combination thereof. In my two saves so far I've tried that - and even more radical changes of formation/tactic - but I haven't yet found the key. In FM17 it was easy - go more attacking to break a team down; go defensive (or contain) to hold on to a lead; routine. In FM18 it was a lot more subtle - and why I think FM18 was the best ME so far - but there's so much new in FM19 that I haven't figured it out yet. But I will. I will!

[kozmik]

[warlock]

@kozmik FMed them... awesome!

[Jogo Bonito]

@warlock So close, a great effort there. I actually quite like the fact you're managing different teams, at the end of the version I'll be left thinking there were too many I didn't get to try and you'll feel you have. I remember in FM18 struggling with the HG player rule at Forest Green. For much of that I had to go with six substitutes for a few years until the least-worst of my U21 players was fit for any pitch time. Maybe you (and all of us) need to factor this in to our choices if the plan is go to more than one or two seasons.

@DefinitelyTaylor Sorry to hear you've finished with Carlisle, I thought it was a good choice. I agree though, if you're not enjoying it, there's no point. Good luck with your next pick.

I've delayed three times on signing Jack Rodwell for Grimsby, and think this one will be cancelled. Pros and cons made it a very close call.

[warlock]

1 minute ago, Jogo Bonito said:

I remember in FM18 struggling with the HG player rule at Forest Green... Maybe you (and all of us) need to factor this in to our choices if the plan is go to more than one or two seasons.

Yeah, when I do next year's club profiles () I'll certainly pay attention to that. And I'll certainly be looking out for it in future saves.

As to Rodwell, I'm pretty sure the great Ben Kenobi once said, "Jogo, trust your feelings!"

[Jogo Bonito]

1 minute ago, warlock said:

Yeah, when I do next year's club profiles () I'll certainly pay attention to that. And I'll certainly be looking out for it in future saves.

As to Rodwell, I'm pretty sure the great Ben Kenobi once said, "Jogo, trust your feelings!"

You'll need to start planning for your FM20 thread soon

It sounds like Ben Kenobi should be my Assistant Manager then, I'm getting a bit tired of Kevin Dillon (despite knowing him a little bit back in the day and respect for the fact he was a great player in his career).

[warlock]

@Jogo Bonito Lol! We should all have Ben Kenobi as our Ass Man!!

[karanhsingh]

Hey fellas, just caught up on all the action here. 

@kozmik - great going so far in the Premier league, what tactic are you playing? You got Pellegri on loan?

@warlock - I would say that was a pretty impressive season with Sheff Utd. You should have stuck with it! For the HG issue can't you find a back up keeper, that would be best as he would barely ever have to actually play. 

@Spike - also a great result against Liverpool! Unfortunately my Pompey side came unstuck against them... update follows 

 

[karanhsingh]

So it's time for a mid-season review - Pompey 2020/21

Overall, clearly things are going very well, I couldn't have wished for much better. I am just hoping now we can stay competitive and avoid the typical second half of the season slump. In the league, we have played all of the big 6 at home, so braced for 6 difficult away trips to come. The best results so far have been a 3-1 home win against United and most recently 3-2 vs table topping Chelsea. We also beat Southampton 2-0 away from home in the first South coast derby since several years. That was highly pleasing. 

We got schooled  2-4 at home vs Man City, with Asensio scoring a superb brace, and the most frustrating game was a 1-3 home defeat to Liverpool where we hit the woodwork twice and Cummings missed about 5 one on ones. Meanwhile, in the Carabao cup we went out fairly early on penalties against Burnley. I will definitely be taking the FA Cup more seriously and would like to put together a run.

Player performances - Cummings had a slow start but has since hit form and his brace vs Chelsea has actually taken him to the top of the Premiership scoring charts. Loader has done very well to score 8 goals from the left wing. Dozzell continues to develop as a top quality play-maker. Roberts doing well with 4 goals & as many assists. Biggest disappointment has been Loftus-Cheek with just 2 goals so far, the experiment to play him as striker seems destined to fail. We've  not been helped by the 7 month lay-off to record signing Assombalonga who's attributes have also taken a hit, I fear he will not be the same player when he comes back. 

I just had a job interview with Spurs who had sacked Zidane, they still have Kane Alli & co so it was very tempting, the Pompey board offered me better terms to stay so I negotiated a bigger wage budget with them & then confirmed. Realistically I should have jumped ship but I feel like I want to win the league at Pompey, even if it takes longer. I do tend to get bored at the same club after a while though so I am hoping we can win some silverware sooner rather than later.

The Jan transfer window is almost upon us, and I would like to reinforce my strike force so Cummings can share the load a bit. However we have no money left and also already have 2 domestic loan players in the squad. I am thinking of cancelling the Angel Gomes loan and moving for Rhian Brewster who looks fairly decent with good pace and a 16 for finishing, plus he can cover both the SC and AMR positions. 

So that's  about all, probably be back in about a week with the end of season update  

[kozmik]

@karanhsingh Looking like a stunning season so far, hopefully you can keep it going! Shame you haven't been doing so well against the top sides, but in the end it's consistency against the weaker sides that's the key to success. Results against top teams will come as time goes by and the squad gets improved.

Yeah, I have Pellegri on loan. I actually wanted to loan Geubbels after the lavish praise @sedge11 was heaping upon him but his wage at Monaco was below 8k per week, so he wouldn't have gotten a work permit. Pellegri was available too and with his jumping reach (17) can cause problems that Embolo can't, which is nice. Overall he's a better player than Embolo but I'm trying to give Embolo more starts to help him develop, as he still has unrealized potential.

This is the tactic I've been using since about October in the first season:

As for PI's, I have the standard "shoot less often" on pretty much everyone, DL and AMR told to cross to near post and MCR and MCL told to take fewer risks. It has turned out to be the most plug and play tactic I've probably ever come up with, as I rarely make any changes at all.

[DefinitelyTaylor]

Great season so far @karanhsingh. Glad to see you working so well with a lot of domestic players at the club.

[karanhsingh]

5 hours ago, kozmik said:

@karanhsingh Looking like a stunning season so far, hopefully you can keep it going! Shame you haven't been doing so well against the top sides, but in the end it's consistency against the weaker sides that's the key to success. Results against top teams will come as time goes by and the squad gets improved.

Yeah, I have Pellegri on loan. I actually wanted to loan Geubbels after the lavish praise @sedge11 was heaping upon him but his wage at Monaco was below 8k per week, so he wouldn't have gotten a work permit. Pellegri was available too and with his jumping reach (17) can cause problems that Embolo can't, which is nice. Overall he's a better player than Embolo but I'm trying to give Embolo more starts to help him develop, as he still has unrealized potential.

This is the tactic I've been using since about October in the first season:

As for PI's, I have the standard "shoot less often" on pretty much everyone, DL and AMR told to cross to near post and MCR and MCL told to take fewer risks. It has turned out to be the most plug and play tactic I've probably ever come up with, as I rarely make any changes at all.

Thanks.  Yes we haven't been too bad against the big sides, but definitely an area to improve. That is a good squad you have built there! And your tactic is way more conservative than mine, which probably shows I need to tone things down a bit

[karanhsingh]

1 hour ago, DefinitelyTaylor said:

Great season so far @karanhsingh. Glad to see you working so well with a lot of domestic players at the club.

Thanks! I managed to win the EPL with a mostly English team last year with Blackburn, it would be great to repeat the same feat this time around with Pompey.

Maybe by then Southgate will also leave and I can make a push for the England job. He was recently at one of our games apparently scouting no less than 5 of my players! All uncapped - hopefully a couple of them get picked soon.

[warlock]

7 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

For the HG issue can't you find a back up keeper, that would be best as he would barely ever have to actually play. 

I did consider that, and my u23 keeper was really the only candidate. But I did have to use a backup keeper for more than 15 games as Henderson had two spells out with injury. My actual backup, who isn't HGC, is Simon Moore and he isn't bad, but the third-choice GK is nowhere near good enough - Jake Eastwood, look him up.

I've fired up a non-league save with Gateshead while I figure out who take on for the next EFL challenge. Notts County might be favourite... 

KUTGW with Pompey .

[Muttley84]

Just started a career in England after more than 5 years. The team I picked is Colchester, and I the approach would be a Youth Academy Challenge, withouth signing any players. I found a decent enough squad in Colchester, with Szmodics and Nouble leading the line upfront,and thus so far we have 28 points out of 30 in the League. Knocked in the Second Round of the League Cup by Bradford and using only rotation players in the League Trophy group against Wycombe, Portsmouth and Arsenal Reserves. Hope I can stick through the large number of games in England.

[warlock]

6 minutes ago, Muttley84 said:

The team I picked is Colchester

Welcome to the party, and well done for picking one of the less popular teams. Doing it academy-only will certainly make for an interesting challenge. And you're right - there are a lot of games at this level with the various trophies.

Good luck!

[DefinitelyTaylor]

4 hours ago, warlock said:

Notts County might be favourite... 

That seems a logical save to do and one team I was considering myself, actually!  Trying to decide between League One and Two with a few teams in mind for each at the moment myself. Looking forward to seeing if you decide to go with County or somebody else.

@Muttley84: Great start with Colchester so far and a nice challenge to go alongside. Szmodics is an exceptional player and will definitely aid you over the season if you can keep him fit and firing.

 

[karanhsingh]

Are refereeing mistakes programmed into this game? Don’t think I’ve seen one before! We just got done by a blatantly offside goal 

[DefinitelyTaylor]

Just now, karanhsingh said:

Are refereeing mistakes programmed into this game? Don’t think I’ve seen one before! We just got done by a blatantly offside goal 

Yeah, they do happen. Shame that it's screwed you over .

[Dong21]

Charlton Athletic - Season 1 - Part 3

With our financial position continuing to be poor, the winter transfer window saw us continue to delve in the bargain basement. As we had moved to a 4-4-2 I added depth to my wings signing Icelandic international Smarason. I only had 3 CMs at the club so I also signed young Leborgne for further depth. Finally I recruited pressing forward Hinds on loan as my third choice striker. I balanced the books by selling Reeves, a player who was not getting game time after returning from injury as he did not suit the formation I was utilising.

The bulk of the other signings you will see listed are youth prospects who I identified had decent potential - I hope to see some of these push towards the first team in the coming seasons. The final notable business came in March when I could not refuse a £500k bid for my second choice goalkeeper Placide. I snapped up Mark Bunn on a free transfer to provide cover from the bench.

Finally, you may recall my low wage budget has previously stopped me replacing my assistant manager. I finally was able to find a superior alternative who I could afford in the form of Glenn Roeder.

Coming off the back of a great run of form in December, I was full of positivity entering the new year. These positive feelings quickly dissipated as we experienced a torrid January which included us dropping points against league rivals Sunderland and Accrington. We also exited the Checkatrade Trophy during this period, losing to Arsenal who we had shared a group with earlier in the competition. Despite remaining in first place in the league during this period, speculation commenced that I had lost the dressing room and perhaps my job was to follow.

During the whole month of January my top goalscorer Lyle Taylor had been ruled out with an injury picked up against Barnsley in December. Taylor returned to the team against Southend, scored a brace and turned our fortunes around in the process. We got back to our attacking best and went on a good run of form between February and March.

Going into the final stages of the season Sunderland were hot on our heels, with Barnsley not far behind, so nothing could be taken for granted. A particularly satisfying moment came against Oxford where after a knock ruled Fosu out of the game I handed Billy Clarke his first game of the season on the left wing and he rewarded me with a brace. We secured promotion with a game to go, however only a point separated us from Sunderland on the final day of the season, with the league title hanging in the balance. In the end, we won and Sunderland lost, so I was delighted to see the team lift the League One title.

Somewhat cruelly for Barnsley, who I thought were the toughest opposition we faced, they were bested by Accrington in the Playoffs and therefore missed out on promotion.

We scored a satisfying 100 league goals during the season. The biggest contributor to this was Taylor who was the league's top goalscorer with 29 goals. Taylor had the highest average rating in the league and also had the most man of the match awards, however it was winger Leko who was awarded the League One Player of the Year. Leko picked up this accolade after complimenting his 10 league goals with 15 assists. From an attacking perspective, they were ably supported by Grant (16 goals, 10 assists) and Fosu (10 goals, 11 assists - in only 30 games).

The engine room of my team was the centre-midfield partnership of Cullen and Aribo, who both had terrific seasons. Cullen scored an impressive 12 goals from the centre of the park, and Aribo contributed 12 crucial assists. My defence was not as solid as it could have been, with Barnsely and Sunderland conceding less goals - however it should be noted that Bielik had a very good season, and Solly also made the Team of the Year.

[karanhsingh]

Great work @Dong21

and boy that’s a lot of free transfers! Lol

[Dong21]

Thanks @karanhsingh - I just can't resist a good deal!

I have additional news...

Charlton Athletic - A New Era (Again...)

The season ended and I realised that I only had a month left to run on my contract. With a league win and a League One Manager of the Year award fresh in the board's memory, I  thought this would be a perfect time to request a new contract. I was swiftly told that due to the club's financial position nobody would be getting new contracts at this time - so I faced an uncertain future!

I then received interesting news - I was to have my third owner in the space of just one season... Within his first day of taking over, the new man offered me a new contract and upped my transfer budget for the upcoming Championship campaign from £100k to £400k. So the Charlton adventure continues and, although he does not appear to be rich, we seem to be more financially secure heading into season 2.

Edited November 26, 2018 by Dong21

[warlock]

11 minutes ago, Dong21 said:

we seem to be more financially secure heading into season 2

Good news! Fair reward for winning the title, too.

[DefinitelyTaylor]

@Dong21: Congratulations on promotion. Some great pieces of business have definitely helped you over the course of the season; alongside the players you'd expect to impact such as Lyle Taylor. Very surprised to see Accrington will be joining you in the Championship next season via the playoffs. I'm intrigued to see how they do next season alongside you. Is John Coleman still in charge? If so, he is continuing to work absolute miracles! Glad to see a more self-sufficient board has arrived that has a little bit more money available to help you and the club in their quest to survive in the Championship at a bare minimum. 

[Jogo Bonito]

Great stuff @Dong21 and good luck for the next season. I'm not at all surprised to see Taylor stand out, he always served me well at Wimbledon and your team is better!

[Milkmanhole]

You know what sucks? Having your save files corrupted ;(

I had a little problem with my Reading save file, the Millwall one where i got promoted also went haywire. So i went out and started a new one with The Lions, hopefully this post will give you guys a little bit of info, as well as providing a good reading!

MILLWALL FC

 

Sky Bet Championship
Media Prediction : 21st
Nickname : The Lions
Year Founded : 1885
Stadium : The Den
Capacity : 20.146 all-seater (19.734 capacity used in normal matches)
Training Facilities : Good
Data Analysis Facilities : Below Average
Youth Facilities : Good
Youth Level : 2
Junior Coaching and Youth Recruitment : Average
Fierce Rivals : West Ham
Other Rivals : Leeds, Charlton, Crystal Palace, Cardiff
Owner Status : Loves the Club
Captain : Steve Morison
Vice-Captain : Shaun Hutchinson

So the first thing i did was to meet the board and discussed what tasks will be handed over to the staff and what tasks i will be handling myself. I then proceeded to fire all of my staff, since i need to bring in my own, those who also fit my coaching style. Neil Harris did a wonderful job with the resources he was given, and i'd like to perform at least as good as how he did.

Now that the staff's been taken care of, let's see what we have to work with in terms of squad.

SQUAD OVERVIEW

Quote

Goalkeepers
 
Ben Amos (on loan from Bolton) : loaned from a club with a lower expected finishing position than us, Amos is...surprisingly decent. Good reflexes and decent at one on ones. Though lacking mentally, he'd make be a good backup to our no.1.
Jordan Archer : basically an upgraded version of Amos and younger at 25, he'd be our first choice in the sticks for a long time. Even if we get promoted we might still stick with him. Physically in his prime and good at being a sweeper keeper.
VERDICT : Very good for the 1st season. Once Amos goes back, we need to look for a new backup goalie.

David Martin in the reserves is old, but can stay on the bench during the two times we face Bolton,

and i don't think Tom King whose out on loan at AFC Wimbledon can make it.

 

Quote

Defenders
   

  
Byron Webster : he's been with us for 4-5 seasons and i'd like to think he'd finish up his career here. Decent right sided central defender, experienced and still strong, might have a steady decline but i'd keep him as a reliable backup, or even a rotation option.
Jake Cooper : 23 year old bought from Reading, he has a bright future here. Tall and strong, great heading and good positioning. He'll be first choice along with our next entry.
Shaun Hutchinson : our best central defender, he'll fill in the left side central defender spot with Cooper partnering him. High bravery and strength, with good leadership also, can be our captain for the next few years as long as we can keep him.
Murray Wallace : in my opinion our least improved central defender, but can still do a job, albeit not as good as the rest. Let him grow for now. Our best passer in the central defender position actually.
Mahlon Romeo : 22 year old right back who is good at going forward. Can still improve, but he's already doing good physically with good pace and stamina.
Conor McLaughlin : another right back, will battle it out with Romeo. Currently better overall than Romeo, though he's not as physically adequate. Better at crossing, so might go with him as first choice.
James Meredith : experienced left full back, slummed it in the lower leagues before coming here last season. Consistent yet unremarkable. Although at 30, still naturally fit with great stamina.
VERDICT : good options, with my first choice being Meredith-Hutchinson-Cooper-McLaughlin. Should look to bring in a backup at left back.

Sid Nelson who is out on loan at Swindon could fill in a role as an understudy at center back next season,

and James Brown, the young right back out on loan at Livingston also looks promising.

Danny McNamara also looks good, loan him out so he can develop.

 

Quote

Midfielders
    
Shaun Williams : good all-rounder. Recently debuted for Ireland last year for his efforts. Good technically, he's not particularly bad at anything, and he actually has decent passing. Good option to have, reliable.
Ryan Leonard : currently on loan from Sheff Utd but joining us permanently in January. Decent attributes, he would battle with Williams for a spot in the team.
Ryan Tunnicliffe : a driven midfielder, tenacious. Good at tackling, mentally strong, very aggresive and brave, determined, will also work hard and play for the team. He'd fit as a ball winning midfielder. Was actually the Sky Bet Championship of the Year during the save when i got promoted, even though he only played 38 games since he got injured mid season, so i know he can do good.
Jem Karacan : steady backup, though i'd like to move him on if possible. Physically not up to par, and technical attributes not that impressive either. Mentally he's decent, but might not have it anymore. I'd play him only if the others get injured.
Ben Thompson : a good understudy for Tunnicliffe, similar style of playing as a ball winner. Almost a carbon copy actually with an age advantage being younger. Out on loan at Portsmouth, will be a backup next season when he's back. Also fills the homegrown by club requirements so keep.
VERDICT : Overall we have 3 decent players who i will be primarily using. I'll probably look for a better backup and younger backup than Karacan. One thing to notice is that i lack someone creatively, with the majority of the players filling the same role, but that's not a problem as i won't be playing with a focus on the middle of the pitch, so they fit my style of play. If you want to play possession based, i'd advise you go look for a creative midfielder.

 

Quote

Wingers
    
Shane Ferguson : Northern Ireland player like McLaughlin. Good but not great. Can be upgraded in the future but for now he can do a good job as backup.
Fred Onyedinma : currently out on loan at Wycombe. Good dribbler with good pace, lacking at everything else. Homegrown as well. Once he comes back he can continues his development here, hopefully Wycombe gives him game time.
Jed Wallace : our key player i feel. Since i will be playing through the wings i'd need good wingers and he definitely fits the bill. Good crossing and dribbling, with decent pace and stamina. Currently wanted but i am reluctant to sell him, as i feel he'll be the focus of our attacks.
Jiri Skalak : Czech left winger who'll be playing opposite of Wallace. Neil Harris did a good job bringing him here as he's very good playing on the left side. Good crossing and dribbling, and was part of the Brighton squad that got promoted at 2017. Has experience in the division which will be invaluable.
Aiden O'Brien : left inside forward, which is a worry since i will be playing with wingers. Our one good homegrown club player whose not out on loan, kind of concerning actually. He'll always have to make the bench to fill our squad requirements. Luckily he's not bad at all.
VERDICT : We have great first teamers in Skalak and Wallace with good backup. Lacking at right wing so might look at that. As i said, since O'Brien's the only one who fills our homegrown at club requirements, he'll always make the squad either starting or at the bench. Hopefully he doesn't get injured.

 

Quote

Strikers
   
Steve Morison : our captain at 34 years old. Although his pace is now not how it used to be, he's still physically imposing. His high teamwork and work rate will only benefit the team. I'd keep him to tutor the youngsters as well as a good backup option.
Tom Elliott : transfer listed at the beginning of the game. Very one dimensional as a target man, but does fulfill that role good. I think if you play him as anything else he'd struggle though. Good option for this season, no need to sell immediately.
Tom Bradshaw : on paper he seems unspectacular but was top scorer of the league the last time i played as Millwall. Will be joining permanently on January as he's currently on loan from Barnsley. I'll play him alongside our next man.
Lee Gregory : he's done a good job for us, pretty dependable. The step up to the championship hasn't hindered him so far, scoring 10 goals last season. Better physically than technically, but works hard for the team.
VERDICT : we have 4 solid strikers, with one who i know has the potential to be a top scorer in Bradshaw. With this bunch you won't be lacking in hard workers which is what i'm looking for.

 Lewis White and George Alexander in the reserves look like they could improve a bit, i'd loan them out so they can get experience.

FULL SQUAD VERDICT : we've got a lot of hard workers, those who will play for the team, with decent depth at every position. Relegation shouldn't be a problem. We might even go one further like Harris did and get into the playoffs!

KEY PLAYERS

TACTICS

I'll be playing a counter attacking 442, focusing on attacking through the wings while being solid and combative through the center, as i feel this philosophy fits the players we currently have. If anyone has any suggestions on tactics, signings, or even post your gameplay experiences, they're very welcome! We'll be playing 8 friendlies through the months of June and July, a good time to familiarize myself with the squad and the tactic we'll be using. Wish me luck!

Edited November 27, 2018 by Milkmanhole

[dothestrand]

@Milkmanhole I hear you, my Brentford save file got corrupted and we were in the Premier League! I'll have to save each game multiple times now.

[Mindtrick_42]

@Milkmanhole will be nice to see how the save get on for you! Millwal was one of the teams I considered, but I ended up with Blackburn instead

I might have missed it in your nice write-up , but what is your transferbudget? 

[DefinitelyTaylor]

@Milkmanhole: Great write-up with your new club. Shame to hear that your previous save was corrupted, but that's why you have back-ups  

Jokes aside, best of luck with Millwall. They're not doing the best in real life after an impressive season last campaign, so hopefully you'll be able to use that momentum better.

[karanhsingh]

So in the Jan transfer window now, I sold off Tom Naylor for 2 million as he was kicking up a fuss. Easy replacement by just recalling Adam May from his loan spell. 

Now I am faced with a big decision, my scouts alerted me that Sergio Gomez has been transfer listed at Dortmund. He had been scouted earlier by us, and as you can see he looks pretty phenomenal. I have negotiated a cool 2.8 million deal for him. I don't know whether to confirm or not!

Pros
- already rated as a wonderkid
- only 20 so probably can be even better
- he reminds me of a young David Silva
- coming super cheap

Cons
- would be my first non-British signing, but I am also fast realising that as our level gets higher, it becomes harder to be restricted to only HG players
- doesn't actually fit into our current formation as we don't use an MC or AMC

What I could do, is send Angel Gomes back to Man United as they are not going to sell him to me anyway, and then have Sergio rotate with Danny Loader on the left flank. It won't be his best position, but maybe down the line we could have a tactical change as well. I think I am leaning towards doing this. Thoughts?

[warlock]

1 hour ago, karanhsingh said:

Now I am faced with a big decision

For that much talent at that price, I'd snatch their hand off. Seems like an easy decision to me 

[karanhsingh]

1 hour ago, warlock said:

For that much talent at that price, I'd snatch their hand off. Seems like an easy decision to me 

Lol fair enough. I went ahead and confirmed it. Goal assist and man of the match in his first game! 

[warlock]

2 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

I went ahead and confirmed it. Goal assist and man of the match in his first game!

[Dong21]

20 hours ago, warlock said:

Good news! Fair reward for winning the title, too.

Thanks @warlock - upwards and onwards!

20 hours ago, DefinitelyTaylor said:

@Dong21: Congratulations on promotion. Some great pieces of business have definitely helped you over the course of the season; alongside the players you'd expect to impact such as Lyle Taylor. Very surprised to see Accrington will be joining you in the Championship next season via the playoffs. I'm intrigued to see how they do next season alongside you. Is John Coleman still in charge? If so, he is continuing to work absolute miracles! Glad to see a more self-sufficient board has arrived that has a little bit more money available to help you and the club in their quest to survive in the Championship at a bare minimum. 

Thanks for the kind words @DefinitelyTaylor. John Coleman took them top of the league at the early stages of the season, but then was snapped up by Preston who were struggling in the Championship relegation zone. Darren Ferguson then took over and continued his fine work. Coleman steered Preston to 17th and survival

20 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Great stuff @Dong21 and good luck for the next season. I'm not at all surprised to see Taylor stand out, he always served me well at Wimbledon and your team is better!

Cheers @Jogo Bonito - I've just got Taylor to renew his contract and I am hoping he can continue his form in the Championship.

[Jean0987654321]

Doing a save with Swansea right now and I have to say, I remember their facilities being slipping poor in the past in this game. Looks better now. At least this time, I can  carve out some decent regens.

 

15 hours ago, Milkmanhole said:

You know what sucks? Having your save files corrupted ;(

I had a little problem with my Reading save file, the Millwall one where i got promoted also went haywire. So i went out and started a new one with The Lions, hopefully this post will give you guys a little bit of info, as well as providing a good reading!

Has a wise man once said,

"Backup saves save saves." :D

Edited November 27, 2018 by Jean0987654321

[warlock]

Sheffield Wednesday: Season 1 - 10 games in

Having scoured the 72 clubs of the EFL once more - and despite having said I was leaning towards Notts County - I decided to make the simple trip across town from Bramall Lane to Hillsborough. Wednesday are another of the many clubs I wanted to manage in FM18 and never got around to, so that's one box ticked. And having been bitten by the HGC rule with the Blades I was alert to the issue. Turns out, there are a great many teams in the EFL who are liable to fall victim to the problem but the Owls have no less than three or four HGC players in and around the first team squad - another box ticked.

We started the season with a large number of injury problems, to the point that I thought 'injury-stricken Sheffield Wednesday' was our official name, so often was it mentioned in media reports. We were particularly hard hit up front, with Lucas Joao, Sam Winnall, and Gary Hooper all missing the opening weeks of the season, and we've suffered further losses of up to two months as LB Jordan Thorniley, CB Tom Lees, LW Matt Penney and most lately GK Keiran Westwood have picked up knocks, twists and strains.

Beyond the medical problems, the squad has other issues with personnel, most notably the imbalance in wide attacking players. With everyone fit, the squad is well-suited to a 442 but for the first month or two I was obliged to play a 4141dm, and this was not without problems since only Forestieri and the mediocre Marco Matias are natural in the AML and AMR positions. With money too tight to mention, I brought in West Brom's Oliver Burke on loan to provide a bit of rotation. The resulting tactic saw us to a good start but the lack of firepower was evident in the number of low-scoring wins and draws, and the fact that Tom Lees is our leading scorer (with 4) shows the degree to which we depended on set-pieces. The defeat to Colchester in the Carabao Cup is further evidence - they took the lead through an appalling own-goal inside 20 minutes and we just couldn't break them down.

After a goalless draw away at Forest - and with Winnall and Joao returned from injury - I switched to the 442 with immediate results as we bagged 7 goals in just 2 games, and those against two of the better teams in the division.

One of the things that attracted me to Wednesday was the low expectations - we are predicted for a mid-table finish, and the board expect the same. Given the lack of money and the issues in the squad, I was looking forward to a first season without pressure and the chance to rebuild a little for season 2.

Unfortunately, I find myself top of the table again and I'm already preparing myself for another roller-coaster ride when the mid-season slump inevitably arrives. I know I should be happy if we're anywhere around the top 8, and the playoffs would be a huge achievement. But I can't help feeling that if we're capable of this kind of performance now, we should be capable of maintaining it throughout.

Pressure! Self-inflicted pressure!!!

[Dong21]

@warlock Reading your write up you would think you were in a relegation battle!

Great start to the season and it looks like you are hitting form now your injured players are returning. KUTGW.

[warlock]

1 minute ago, Dong21 said:

you would think you were in a relegation battle!

I know . It's always like this... I nearly always over-achieve early, and then I can't accept the falling away. Don't get me wrong, I'm delighted with this start, but if/when we return to our natural place in the universe I'll be really, really p'ed off!

[Jogo Bonito]

@warlock Welcome back to the game, and what a great start considering the injury issues, I agree it's a good pick, a traditional old club with some good young players and a team I was thinking about some time too. I hope you have a hoot with The Owls

@Milkmanhole Sorry your Reading attempt didn't work out, I had reasons for wanting to see how that went for you. Best of luck with The Lions anyway.

 

Edited November 27, 2018 by Jogo Bonito

[warlock]

7 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

I hope you have a hoot with The Owls

Well, despite the impression I might have given above, I'm really enjoying it so far. The defence is solid all across the back line, and there are good rotation options, too. The midfield is performing above and beyond - l'm developing a major crush on Barry Bannan! The man is The Terminator - just never quits, serving up assists from corners and free kicks, and from open play. He's scored a couple of DFKs into the bargain. Probably does brain surgery on his days off, and rocket science on Sundays!!

The only issue I have is with the frontmen, and I'm not sure whether it's personnel or the ME. Forestieri and Nuhiu have done OK, but Winnall - who I liked last year on loan at Derby - has been awful, and Fletcher has been worse. I started him every other game and in six appearances he had no goals, no assists and average rating of 6.5, so when he demanded more football I sent him to the u23s and he's on the transfer list already. Joao and Hooper haven't yet returned from injury, but I've managed Hooper before and have no great expectations! Forestieri may yet come good, and if he can reach 15-ish goals for the season I'll be happy.

So, not without challenges, but a good setup regardless. I can highly recommend them for a save!

[Mindtrick_42]

@warlock nice start! Interesting to follow your next adventure

may I ask what roles you use for your frontmen?

[karanhsingh]

7 hours ago, warlock said:

Sheffield Wednesday: Season 1 - 10 games in

Unfortunately, I find myself top of the table again and I'm already preparing myself for another roller-coaster ride when the mid-season slump inevitably arrives. I know I should be happy if we're anywhere around the top 8, and the playoffs would be a huge achievement. But I can't help feeling that if we're capable of this kind of performance now, we should be capable of maintaining it throughout.

Pressure! Self-inflicted pressure!!!

Good luck with the Owls! I've never seen anybody so downbeat about topping the table lol. I know what you mean, but hopefully you can keep it going. How is Penney going along, are you playing him at LB or LW? I was scouting him for Pompey and came close to buying him. He looks like a poor man's left footed David Beckham.

[Mindtrick_42]

Blackburn 2019/20 pre-season - disappointment 

So it has been a though transfer window for us. As mentioned earlier we will try to go for low-block 442, which meant we needed some new players. However, it was difficult to bring good players in. Either they wanted too much salary, or another team came in and snatched them. This is what has happened for us:

Pontus jansson is the only one I like (I'm a Swede so needed some fellow countrymen  ). However,  this is what we managed to get. We also sold some players,  but our finances looks quite bad so I only get 10% from transfers. 

Another thing that is a dispointmmet is the set pieces. Not sure if it is a bug,  but the players rarely end up where I want them. This is especially true for attacking throw-ins where my centerbacks, that I have placed in the box, are hovering close to the halfway line... 

So to sum up I'm quite negative about our chances to stay up,  but we will for sure give it a try! First up is wolves away.

[karanhsingh]

Josef Martinez is very good - he's doing well in the EPL in my game. Petagna and him should be a good combination for sure. Best of luck!